Peter Cullen attends The Paley Honors: A Gala Tribute to Hasbro’s Centennial in New York on Oct. 23, 2023. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
\n\nPeter Cullen appears at the Comic-Con Fan Expo in Rosemont, Ill., on Aug. 18, 2024. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File)
\n\nNEW YORK (AP) — Peter Cullen, a prolific voice actor who enlivened scores of TV series, specials and movies, including Optimus Prime in the syndicated 1984 series “Transformers” and Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh cartoon franchise, has died. He was 85.
\n\nHis agent, Kevin Motley, said Cullen died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. “His family asks that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle,’” said a family statement.
\n\nCullen’s career spanned from being an announcer at the groundbreaking late-1960s comedy and variety series “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and joining comedy sketches for Sonny & Cher to voice acting in “The Smurfs” and multiple G.I. Joe iterations. But he struck a nerve as Optimus Prime.
\n\nWhile the original cartoon ran just a few years, it left an indelible mark on pop culture, with a…
Original source: https://apnews.com/business